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7 of the best running trails in America

Shut-In Trail, Asheville, N.C.

Set within the majestic woods of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Shut-In Trail was named for the tunnels of mountain laurel and rhododendron it travels through, giving the runner a “shut-in” feeling. It is steeped in history, constructed by George W. Vanderbilt in 1890 to link his Buck Springs hunting lodge to his Biltmore estate in Asheville. Every November, runners gather for the 18-mile Shut-In Ridge Run, which features a 3,000-foot elevation climb, traveling from the North Carolina Arboretum to the trailhead for the Mount Pisgah summit.

Shut-In Trail, Asheville, N.C.

Set within the majestic woods of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Shut-In Trail was named for the tunnels of mountain laurel and rhododendron it travels through, giving the runner a “shut-in” feeling. It is steeped in history, constructed by George W. Vanderbilt in 1890 to link his Buck Springs hunting lodge to his Biltmore estate in Asheville. Every November, runners gather for the 18-mile Shut-In Ridge Run, which features a 3,000-foot elevation climb, traveling from the North Carolina Arboretum to the trailhead for the Mount Pisgah summit.